DDP and no ADRs

[LLMommy]

We are going to Disney for the 2nd week in June for our first ever family vacation. My kids will be 20 months and 3.5 years old. We are planning to do the DDP but I am not so sure it will be a good fit w/ us. I think we would save money on it for sure; which is why I want to do it but we are non-planners We like to go w/ the flow and do what we feel like each day instead of having to be somewhere for an ADR. Is there any chance that we could do the DDP but not make ADRs and still get to do TS meals for dinner? I have only been to Disney once (for our honeymoon) and we ate a lot outside the park then, so I have no restaurants that I HAVE to go to. We still want good food of course but want to be spontaneous as well. Is this possible? TIA!

 

[warriorboy648]

June is a very busy time for Disney. If you want to do the DDP then you should make reservations. Think about what time you are usually hungry at home and make them for the same time. You can always cancel, but you are better off to have them.

 

[Tricia1972]

I think the DDP without ADR's can work, but I don't know if I'd suggest it in your case.

Firstly, I believe that the DDP without ADR's is easier to do if you are driving instead of depending on Disney Transportation. It can take a very long time to bus from resort to resort. I also think that it would be easier without little children.

That being said, if you are flexible with what time you want to eat (the reason I mentioned children before) and where you want to eat you can make it work with minimal planning.

What you would want to do is to call Disney Dining the morning you are going to Epcot (for example) and see what they have available at Epcot, or one of the nearby resorts (Boardwalk, etc) for dinner that night. Usually there will be something available, but it may be as early as 4:00 or as late as 8:45. You could also luck out and get LeCellier at 5:00 - you just never know.

What I wouldn't do is just tour until the kids and we were hungry and then try to find something to eat that we were hungry for at a TS location. Again you might luck out, but more often than not by the time it's dinner time - all of the dinner slots are taken. You don't want to be hungry at 5:00 and find out that there's nothing available until 8:45. You can always buy the kids a small meal to tide them over, but that would diminish the savings that you are experiencing on the DDP.

 

[pooch]

If you're going to have DDP, I stongly suggest making ADRs for each day at a time your little ones would normally eat. If you are not near that restaurant, the kids aren't hungry, you find somewhere else, etc., you can always cancel without any sort of penalty. But I can't think of many things worse than being hot, hungry, with 2 crying kids and no TS available. Make a plan - stick to it as you choose.

Have a great time!!

 

[pooch]

sorry - double post!!

 

[LLMommy]

So would it be better not to do the DDP for us?

 

[Tricia1972]

You may not save with the DDP. It's entirely possible, if you just want to tour until you get hungry and then eat, that you may not get a TS meal for the day and will end up just eating CS that night because nothing else is available at the time the kids need to eat. If you miss even one or two TS's - you probably will not come out ahead with the plan.

 

[Melissa_E]

So would it be better not to do the DDP for us?

I would just say if you want to have a table service meal whether or not you will be on the DDP then make ADRs. Since June is busy you will want ADRs for the majority of your TS meals. I would just plan the parks you want to go to and then figure out what TS meals are in or close to the park and then get a TS ADR that matches up.

I think if you went down without any ADRs (again DDP or not) and tried to get a table you will be disappointed with your choices of times and restaurant locations.

 

[TDC Nala]

Never mind the DDP - if you want table service meals at all you should be making reservations.

With kids as young as yours you most likely want peak mealtimes.

 

[TiggerDad3]

Absolutely agree with the following quote completely... well said!

I think the DDP without ADR's can work, but I don't know if I'd suggest it in your case.

Firstly, I believe that the DDP without ADR's is easier to do if you are driving instead of depending on Disney Transportation. It can take a very long time to bus from resort to resort. I also think that it would be easier without little children.

That being said, if you are flexible with what time you want to eat (the reason I mentioned children before) and where you want to eat you can make it work with minimal planning.

What you would want to do is to call Disney Dining the morning you are going to Epcot (for example) and see what they have available at Epcot, or one of the nearby resorts (Boardwalk, etc) for dinner that night. Usually there will be something available, but it may be as early as 4:00 or as late as 8:45. You could also luck out and get LeCellier at 5:00 - you just never know.

What I wouldn't do is just tour until the kids and we were hungry and then try to find something to eat that we were hungry for at a TS location. Again you might luck out, but more often than not by the time it's dinner time - all of the dinner slots are taken. You don't want to be hungry at 5:00 and find out that there's nothing available until 8:45. You can always buy the kids a small meal to tide them over, but that would diminish the savings that you are experiencing on the DDP.

 

[patsal]

If you are using the DDP you will need to eat every meal you are entitled to or your savings become a wash, you might even lose money. Regular DDP does not offer the flexibility of using your TS for CS so if you can't find a place with room you may lose out.
If you know you will want to eat a TS with or without the DDP you will need to have ADR's to be certain you'd get in. Better to have and not need than not have and want. WIth small children you will want to get out of the sun and rest in airconditioning, June is hot and the crowds do begin to pick up. Character meals (or any TS) in the afternoon will get you out of the sun and rehydrated for more fun. I'd rethink the idea of not making ADR's and just set some up, you can always cancel if you don't need them. You can also check at guest services in whichever park you are in and make changes if there are any slots available.

 

[Bev J]

We went to WDW in June last year and we so sooo many mad people trying to get into TS resturants without ADR's. Don't frustrate yourself, make your best guess for what you would like to have and make your ADR's ahead of time.
Another plan of attack is first thing each day call disney dining and see what is available for the times you think will work and pick from those resturants. With the popularity of DDP it is getting harder and harder to get into resturants without ADR's. With the ages of your kids may be better skipping DDP and doing CS so you can eat when it suites your family better. Some CS's are so good, like the food court in the land you won't even miss the TS places.

Bev

 

[jerseygal]

Guess Mid August is a little better as such southern schools have already begun..Still busy with northerners looking to catch their last "taste" of summer before school begins..

How do crowds compare to mid June..Been in mid June but never August...

Any comments?

Thx.

 

[JimMIA]

I understand the concern with loss of flexibility, but we've just never seen any real conflict between doing what we want and making ADR's. We just make the ADR's we want and work around them. It's not as hard as it sounds, as long as you are in the same park as the ADR venue.

If you have to go somewhere else to eat, it's a lot better to do that for an early breakfast or late dinner.

But if you want to select your restaurants, you're going to have to make ADR's. If you want to take the kids to character meals, you have to make ADR's. There really is not much choice.

We have seen days when there was NO TS availability at any restaurant in MK -- for any meal, at any time, for any size party. With kids the ages of yours, you are probably going to be spending most of your time at MK, and if you want to eat TS there, you'd better make ADRs.

This advice, incidentally, applies whether you are using DDP or not. DDP is just the method for paying for the meal -- you need ADRs no matter how you pay.